


(Don't Fear) The Force

by Lady_Faulkner



Series: Kylux Plus One [5]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Character gets lost, Gen, Hux and Padmé miss Kylo, Hux slaps an officer, Kylo shows up for five minutes, Minor Character Death, Seperation, worried Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 16:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15147029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Faulkner/pseuds/Lady_Faulkner
Summary: Hux reluctantly goes back to his homeworld of Arkanis and brings Padmé along. When an officer catches her using the Force, Padmé runs away and gets lost before the Force leads her to an old woman with a bone to pick with Hux.





	(Don't Fear) The Force

**Author's Note:**

> Padmé gets lost for a little bit and goes into the house of a woman she doesn't know. Nothing bad happens to her.

Hux had hoped that he would never have to return to Arkanis. Were it not loyal to the First Order, he would have happily had it destroyed. Unfortunately, the Arkanis Academy was still the First Order’s greatest training facility; a credit to Brendol Hux's legacy. There was to be a graduation the next day and Hux had been selected as the keynote speaker, which had necessitated his return.  

“It’s raining!” Padmé exclaimed as their shuttle dipped below the clouds. 

She was tall for her four years; all arms and legs with minimal muscle that too closely resembled Hux at her age.  _ “Thin as a slip of paper,”  _ as Brendol had described it. Thankfully, most of Kylo’s genetic makeup masked Hux’s. Her eyes were Hux’s, and she had elected to wear a dress of the same blue, but the shape of her eyes was Kylo’s. Her brown hair had darkened until it looked black and fell to her shoulders in soft waves.

“It does that near constantly,” Hux muttered. 

Padmé climbed out of her seat and into Hux’s lap. She  _ booped _ his nose and smiled, hoping that he would mirror her. When he didn't, she frowned and poked his shoulder. “Why are you so grumpy?” she inquired. 

“Someone else should be doing this,” Hux returned. 

He didn't fully believe that; his speech would be good PR for the First Order, but if someone,  _ anyone _ else could have come in his place to  _ Arkanis _ , Hux would have sent them without a second thought. 

“Oh,” Padmé nodded. “When is daddy coming home?”

“Soon,” Hux replied. 

“That's what you  _ always _ say!” Padmé protested. 

Hux but his tongue. Kylo was secretly out in the Unknown Regions, which necessitated radio silence, lest the Resistance learn what they were doing. For all Hux knew, he wouldn't see Kylo again for months. If at all. 

“Is Aunt Ama with him?” Padmé demanded. 

“Yes,” Hux sighed. 

“Good, she’ll keep him safe,” Padmé declared. 

Hux chuckled and didn't argue with his daughter. 

The pilot told them they were making their final descent and Hux strapped Padmé into her seat. 

“Stay close to me,” Hux reminded her. “Don't wander off, and don’t use the Force.” 

“I won't, papa,” Padmé promised. 

The shuttle landed and Hux took hold of Padmé’s hand. They were instantly surrounded by ranking officers and a few local journalists. 

“Grand Marshal Hux,” one of the journalists called, “how does it feel to be back?” 

“Grand Marshal Hux, what do you think of the Academy’s tactics?” called a second. 

“Grand Marshal Hux,” a third mused, “can you comment on the rumors that this is your illegitimate daughter?” 

Padmé looked up at Hux and he squeezed her hand. 

“I will be holding a press conference later tonight,” Hux returned dryly. “You can ask me your invasive questions then and not before.” 

He pulled Padmé along behind him and marched into the Academy housing complex where they would be staying. They were shown to a large suite containing an enormous bed, a desk, a large closet, and an expansive refresher. 

“We were not informed that you would be traveling unaccompanied,” the officer assigned to them apologized as Hux took in the room. 

“It will suffice,” Hux muttered. 

They were left alone and Hux pinched the bridge of his nose. 

_ Incompetent imbeciles.  _

“What’s  _ irrabitamen _ t?” Padmé inquired, pulling at Hux’s sleeve to get his attention. 

“ _ Irrabitament _ ?” Hux repeated. 

“They asked if I was your irrabitament daughter,” Padmé explained. 

“Illegitimate,” Hux corrected. 

“What’s that?” Padmé asked. 

“Illegitimate means that your parents aren't married,” Hux explained. “Of course, you are not a  _ normal _ child.” 

Padmé shifted uneasily. She didn't fully understand why, but she knew that she should feel ashamed. 

Someone knocked at the door and Hux went to answer it. 

“Forgive the intrusion, Grand Marshal Hux,” a gruff male voice said, not sounding sorry for intruding. 

“You're from the Academy, correct?” Hux muttered. 

“Yes, there are a few things that need to be ironed out before tomorrow,” the man replied. 

Disinterested, Padmé summoned her favorite toy from her bag; a wire Wookie from Uncle Techie. She hugged the toy then levitated it around her head. The light played off the wire and Padmé began to smile. 

“Just a moment,” Hux sighed, walking back into the room. 

Padmé returned the Wookie to her bag. “Are you leaving?” she inquired. 

“I'm afraid so,” Hux replied. “I shouldn't be long.” 

“Okay, Padmé whispered. 

“Grand Marshal Hux,” the male voice called. “The board is waiting for you.” 

Hux sighed and collected his datapad. 

“Love you,” Padmé mumbled. 

Hux closed his eyes and kissed his daughter’s forehead. “Love you too,” he replied before leaving. 

Padmé sat on the bed for a few seconds before hopping down to explore the room. After discovering that is was mostly empty, she summoned her Wookie and lazily levitated it above her head. 

“I hope daddy is okay,” she confessed to the toy. “I miss him and papa does too.” 

Padmé summoned her datapad and played back the message Kylo had recorded before he’d left. 

_ “Hey little one. I’m going on a long trip with Aunt Ama. We're going to be gone for a while, so I’m counting on you to look after papa for me. He needs to sleep and eat, just like you do, so I’m counting on you to see that he does. Okay? I’m going to miss you but remember, I’m never far away. The Force connects us. I love you, Padmé.”  _

“Love you too, daddy,” Padmé whispered. 

She sent her Wookie floating across the room before deciding to test her abilities. She lifted her datapad into the air and moved it and the Wookie around the room. Her abilities were shaky, but Padmé managed to steadily orbit the two items around the room. 

The door opened and closed, but Padmé was too deep in concentration to notice. 

“Grand Marshal Hux?” a timid voice called. “Sir?” 

Padmé turned and her Wookie and datapad fell to the floor. A young captain was staring at her, his mouth hanging open in shock. 

“You're...Force,” the captain breathed. 

Padmé sat frozen in terror. The captain took a timid step towards Padmé and she leapt off the bed, keeping it between them. 

“Grand Marshal Hux brought you here, right?” the captain inquired softly. 

Padmé cowered, unsure if she should respond.   

“Come here, kid.” 

Padmé reached out into the Force for help. On impulse, she used it to push the captain into the wall while she ran out of the room. Padmé turned right, then right again, left and then right until she came out a side door. A voice yelled at her and Padmé took off running. The housing complex disappeared behind her and the local market appeared. Surrounded by vendors and shoppers, Padmé stopped and looked around and felt the eyes of the vendors on her. While she didn't know it, the beads on her dress  _ alone _ were worth thousands of credits. 

“I'm sorry, papa,” Padmé whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

The rain picked up and the Force urged Padmé to continue moving. She nervously turned down a side street and a sudden wave of warmth washed over her. There was something familiar about it and Padmé followed it to a nondescript door. She tentatively knocked and when the door opened, she was met by the kind face of an old woman. 

“Can I help you?” the old woman inquired.

Padmé stared up at her and shivered. 

“Are you lost?” the old woman pressed. 

Padmé nodded and began crying. “I was just playing and I didn't hear him come in. I promised papa that I wouldn't use the Force, but I wanted to play.”

The old woman froze, if the girl on her doorstep was Force sensitive, then her papa had a good reason for keeping it a secret. 

In the days of the Empire, children had been brought across the galaxy to be trained as Sith Inquisitors. Once trained, they had roamed the galaxy searching for Jedi and exterminating them. Even after the Empire had fallen, Commandant Brendol Hux had continued to twist the children of the galaxy into inhuman soldiers. He had examined the successes and failures of the Clone Army and the Imperial Stormtroopers and built the First Order training program that his son had perfected. 

“I’m sure you papa will understand,” the old woman whispered nervously. “He’s probably looking for you. Here, why don’t you come inside to warm up and get out of the rain?” 

Padmé nervously nodded before stepping inside the old woman’s house. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

The officers at the Arkanis Academy had heard of Grand Marshal Hux's ferocity, but they had never imagined it would be turned on one of their own.

After being informed of Padmé’s escape, Hux had immediately demanded that the officer responsible be brought before him. His orders had been carried out, and Hux had struck the captain across the face the moment he’d walked in.

“You are responsible for scaring away my most precious asset,” Hux admonished. 

“P-please, sir, forgive me,” the captain stammered. 

Hux glared at him, “Do you think you are deserving of my forgiveness?” 

“No, sir, I am not,” the captain replied. 

_ “No, sir _ , indeed,” Hux growled. “The Supreme Leader will hear of your incompetence.”

“Grand Marshal Hux,” a colonel said nervously, “must the Supreme Leader be concerned with this? Our troops are at your command to search the city.”

Hux took a breath. “I will find the girl myself,” he muttered. “She is precious to the Supreme Leader and myself, and this captain’s actions are deserving of the death he will be put to when I return.” 

“Are his actions  _ truly  _ deserving of such a punishment?” the colonel inquired. 

“Were the Supreme Leader here, he would dispatch of the captain himself,” Hux returned confidently. “Luckily for you he isn't but don't think I will be delivering my speech after what has occurred today.” 

“Grand Marshal Hux, please reconsider,” the colonel pleaded. 

“I cannot speak on the excellence of the Academy graduates while knowing that one of them put the life of my dau-asset in jeopardy,” Hux spat.

His heart thundering in his chest and he managed to excuse himself to his quarters. Once there, Hux desperately tried to process how this had happened. He knew Padmé could be skittish around strangers, but the captain must have done  _ something _ to scare her enough to cause her to run away. 

A roll of thunder caught Hux's attention and his anxiety increased. If Padmé was out in the rain, she would be soaked to the bone by now. He needed to stop worrying and start searching. Hux took a breath, removed his white cape and opened his suitcase. 

First, he pulled out the new greatcoat he’d had made to reflect his promotion. It was black like the one he’d had as a general, but trimmed with white. Next, he pulled out one of Kylo’s cowls and slipped it over his head. His lover’s scent surrounded and calmed him. He momentarily wondered if Kylo was wearing the resized greatcoat he’d sent with him before focusing on their daughter. 

Hux had placed a small tracker in a seam of her dress similar to the one in Kylo’s belt. He activated it remotely from a small data pad and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she hadn't gone far. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Padmé sipped at the tea the old woman had given her. 

“Thank you, ma’am,” she whispered. 

“You can call me granny,” the woman replied, wrapping a woolen blanket around Padmé’s shoulders. 

“Thank you, granny,” Padmé revised. 

Granny smiled, “Aren't you polite?” 

“Papa taught me that being kind will get people to do what you want more than yelling will,” Padmé informed her. 

“Your papa sounds like a wise man,” granny commented. 

Padmé nodded. “He is. Everyone says so, but they never say it to his face.” 

Granny chuckled. 

Padmé cleared her throat. “Granny?” 

“Yes, sweetie?” 

“What’s that noise?” Padmé inquired. She had been hearing a reverberating sound ever since she'd stepping into granny’s house, but hadn't wanted to comment on it right away. 

“Noise?” granny replied. 

Padmé nodded and granny furrowed her brows. An idea struck granny and she removed a string necklace that she’d worn for over thirty years. Tied to the string was a clear crystal, which was now glowing. 

“What is that?” Padmé whispered, leaning in. 

“A Kyber crystal,” granny explained softly. “They powered Jedi lightsabers.” 

“Are you a Jedi?” Padmé inquired. 

Granny gave her a sad smile. “No, but my brother was going to be one. A Jedi Knight took him to the Temple and started training him. My brother was killed in the Clone Wars before he could build his lightsaber. His master brought me the crystal...I never knew why.” 

Padmé gripped her tea cup nervously.

“Years later, my grandsons were selected for the Commandant’s program,” granny continued softly. “He and his son turned them into Stormtroopers and I never saw them again.” 

“Oh,” Padmé whispered. 

“I’m sorry,” granny said. “That wasn't a pleasant story, now was it?”

Padmé shook her head. 

“No,” granny agreed, “but the crystal has never glowed like this for me. The Jedi Knight told me that the crystal calls to those worthy of using it. I think that’s what it’s doing right now.” 

She slipped the necklace around Padmé’s neck and gave her a warm smile. 

“Keep it,” she instructed. “I was never strong enough with the Force to use it.” 

“Thank you,” Padmé whispered, looking at the crystal with reverence. 

There was a roll of thunder and Padmé winced. Granny placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile, which Padmé returned. 

“More tea?” granny inquired. 

“Yes, please,” Padmé replied. 

Granny moved to get the kettle and someone knocked on the door. 

“Papa!” Padmé exclaimed, running to answer it. 

“Wait a second,” granny called putting out a hand to stop her. “I’ll answer it first, okay?” 

“Okay,” Padmé mumbled in disappointment.

Granny smiled then opened the door. Her eyes met the caller’s and she stepped backwards into her house, pushing Padmé behind her. Her other hand slid under her kitchen table and cautiously retrieved the blaster hidden there. 

“Forgive the intrusion,” Hux said politely, removing Kylo’s cowl from his head as he stepped inside. 

“Papa!” Padmé smiled, poking her head around granny. 

“Padmé,” Hux breathed in relief, “you're safe.” 

Granny pointed her blaster at him and he gave her an irritated look. 

“Is this necessary?” he inquired. 

“Granny?” Padmé whispered in confusion. 

“Get out of my house,” granny replied, not taking her eyes off Hux. 

Hux nodded slowly. “Of course. Thank you for looking after her in this storm.” 

“What are you going to do with her?” granny demanded. 

“We're going to go home,” Hux said to Padmé. “I’m not going to give my speech after all that’s happened. You’re uncle will be happy to see you back so soon.”

Granny kept her blaster pointed at Hux and he gave her a disapproving look. 

“Is this any way to behave?” he inquired, cautiously stepping forward. “You have my gratitude for looking after Padmé. Don’t do anything foolish to ruin that.” 

“Granny?” Padmé whispered. 

The old woman looked at her and then at the crystal hanging from her neck. Granny thought of her brother and her grandsons but before she could made a decision, Hux reached for her blaster. She fired on instinct and Padmé screamed. Hux flinched and realized he was still alive. The blaster bolt was frozen in midair, inches from his chest. He ducked out of the way and the bolt flew into the front door. 

“Papa?” Padmé said timidly. 

_ “You saved me,” _ Hux's mind breathed. 

She cautiously approached him and touched his shoulder. In her eyes, Hux could see her fear and concern, but there was something else; tenderness and a desire to protect. Hux had seen that same look in Kylo’s eyes once before. 

They had been on a routine mission that had gone horribly wrong. He and Kylo had been surrounded by a local rebel faction and Hux had been badly injured. Kylo had looked at him with warmth and tenderness before he dropped into a defensive stance. 

_ “Hurt him again, and I will slaughter every last one of you!”  _ he’d roared. 

In that moment, Hux had fully realized that he was hopelessly in love with Kylo Ren. Now, their daughter was giving him the same, soft look and Hux knew that he would protect her until the day he died. 

“You tried to hurt papa,” Padmé accused, turning to the old woman. 

“Padmé,” Hux whispered, taking her hand in his. “You were very brave in protecting me, but I will protect you now.” 

Padmé smiled and squeezed his hand. “Okay, papa.” 

Hux slipped out of his greatcoat and wrapped her up in it. “Wait outside, I will be there in a moment,” he instructed. “Everything will be fine. I promise.” 

Padmé nodded and slowly walked outside. 

“I meant what I said,” Hux informed the old woman once the door closed. “You have my gratitude for looking after her.”

“I don't want the gratitude of a monster,” the old woman snarled. 

“A monster?” Hux repeated, sliding his blaster out of its holster. “I’m only that if you make me one.” 

“Who did you take that girl from?” the old woman demanded. 

Hux blinked in surprise. “No one. Who did I take from you?” 

“You and your father took my grandsons,” the old woman returned, pointing her blaster at Hux's head. 

“If you really wanted to shoot a monster, you would have killed my father,” Hux replied. “However, if you kill me now, you will turn the little girl I wrapped in my coat into a monster. And I will not allow you to do that to my daughter.” 

“Daughter?” the old woman repeated in disbelief. 

Hux nodded and readied his blaster. 

“How...how could someone like you create a child as sweet as her?” the old woman demanded. 

“You should meet her dad,” Hux smiled. “He’s rather sweet when he isn't destroying my ship.” 

The old woman's resolve wavered. 

“Honestly,” Hux whispered, “I would like nothing more than to see him again.” 

“I would like nothing more than to see my brother again,” the old woman replied slowly. 

Hux looked into her eyes and ducked before her blaster went off. Hux rolled to his knees and fired back. His father's training didn't fail him and the old woman’s lifeless body fell to the floor. 

Hux holstered his blaster and checked his person for any traces of blood. Finding none, he exited the house and scooped Padmé up in his arms. 

“Are you okay, papa?” she inquired as he sat her on his hip. 

Hux kisses her forehead. “Better now that I've got you back.” 

“Were you scared?”

“I was worried about you,” Hux admitted.

Padmé bit her lip, “I broke my promise. I used the Force and someone saw me. Please don't be angry, papa.” 

“I found you, and the captain who saw you will be taken care of,” Hux assured her. 

He readjusted her on his hip and noticed the crystal around her neck. 

“What is that?” he inquired. 

“It’s a Kyber crystal,” Padmé informed him. “They power Jedi lightsabers.” 

“One powers daddy’s lightsaber too,” Hux informed her. 

Her eyes widened, “Really?” 

“Yes,” Hux replied. “Perhaps you can build your own lightsaber with that crystal. You can ask daddy when he gets back.” 

“When  _ will _ daddy get back?” Padmé whined. 

Hux kissed her forehead. “Soon,” he promised. “Daddy misses us as much as we miss him. So he won't be away for too much longer.”

“Promise?” Padmé whispered. 

“Promise,” Hux replied. 

 

~ ~ ~ ~ 

 

Two days later, Kylo returned and embraced his daughter and lover. Padmé eagerly recounted their adventures on Arkanis to him and Hux filled in the details after Padmé had gone to bed. 

“I’m glad you’re safe,” Kylo whispered, kissing Hux. “You and Padmé.”

“Me too,” Hux admitted, resting his forehead against Kylo’s. 

“And, the Academy was really okay with you not giving your speech?” Kylo inquired.

“They will be,” Hux muttered. 

Kylo nodded and Hux kissed him deeply.

“I missed you,” he moaned. 

“I missed you too,” Kylo whispered.

“Show me,” Hux commanded. 

Kylo growled and pulled him into their bedroom. 


End file.
